Drop zones and exclusion zones: what the codes say

This page reports what the named codes, regulators and makers say. It is not training and does not teach the work. This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It sets out how regulators and codes in New South Wales, New Zealand, Great Britain, British Columbia and the United States describe drop zones, exclusion zones, where ground crew stand and how the climber and the ground crew talk to each other. All pages were read on October 9, 2026. The tickets and courses that teach this work are in the guides on chainsaw tickets and certifications by country. Text adapted from the SafeWork NSW code is used under CC BY 4.0, and text adapted from HSE under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

New South Wales, Australia

The SafeWork NSW code of practice Tree works, which commenced on March 27, 2026, has a section on exclusion and drop zones. It ties the zones to the WHS Regulation duty to manage the risk of an object falling on a person. If the fall of the object cannot be prevented, the code says the risk is minimised with adequate protection and a safe system of work, which may include an exclusion zone that persons are prohibited from entering.

The code separates two terms. An exclusion zone is a large area from which people who are not workers are kept out. A drop zone is the area set aside for the whole tree to land when felling, or for material such as branches, limbs or trunk sections to be put down after cutting. It says workers must not enter the drop zone while a tree or material is being felled or dropped, or while material or equipment is being lowered until it is safe. It says the size and boundaries of a drop zone come from a risk assessment that considers the size of the work area, the length and shape of the material, sloped or uneven ground that lets material roll or slide, deflection off branches, roots, structures or hard surfaces, and exclusion distances for unexpected movement.

The code lists three reasons for several exclusion zones at one site: pedestrian access and footpaths, vehicle access and public roads, and the hazardous operation of plant and equipment. For work in public areas it says exclusion zones are set to keep the public at a safe distance, and that a school or childcare site may need work scheduled when it is not attended.

Ground crew positions in the code

On felling, the code says workers on the ground are not positioned downhill of a tree or branches being felled, treats slopes as a significant hazard and says exclusion zones are extended downhill in proportion to the steepness.
On sectional felling, it says the drop zone is a minimum of 1.5 times the length of the section being felled or dropped, may be made larger for cartwheel or bounce, and that any change to the drop, felling or exclusion zone is communicated and acknowledged by the ground workers.
On lowering, it says at no time should a person be permitted to walk or be positioned under a suspended load, and that designated drop zones keep ropes clear of chippers and grinders.
On powered plant used for felling, it says all ground workers remain outside the drop zone once cutting begins.

How the code describes communication

The code says the method of communication is part of the risk assessment and is agreed before work starts. It names two-way closed-loop devices, hand signals, whistles and mobile telephones, and says phones are not the primary method without confirmed network coverage. It says the climber gives a clear warning before any timber is cut, dropped or lowered, and that ground workers acknowledge the warning and clear the drop zone before the operation goes ahead.

New Zealand

The WorkSafe New Zealand approved code of practice for safety and health in arboriculture says that people not directly helping with a felling operation stay at least two tree-lengths from the tree being felled. It says no person moves forward within two tree-lengths of the intended fall direction of a hung-up or cut-up tree, and that no machine works within two tree-lengths of a felling operation unless it is helping, under supervision, to bring the tree down.

For signals, the code gives a command such as "stand clear" from the arborist operating the chain saw and a response such as "all clear" from the workers supporting the removal. It says pre-arranged hand signals may also be used, only designated persons give signals, and visual contact with the tree or trunk is kept until it is on the ground. For work near roads or footpaths, it says operations do not proceed until the transport corridor manager has been told and any requirements are met. The code notes that it has not been updated to the 2015 health and safety Act and regulations.

Great Britain

The HSE aerial work page lists what ground staff do during aerial tree work. It says they plan the job with the climber, keep effective communication with climbers at all times, keep watching the climber, keep ropes clear of machinery, vehicles and the public, keep the precautions that exclude the public and traffic in place while work goes on, and keep unused tools away from the work area. It also says a dedicated ground person may be assigned to each climber on a busy site. The HSE page on managing public safety describes warning and prohibition signs, barriers and a person at access points who keeps contact with the operators.

British Columbia, Canada

The WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation Part 26 says that before a tree is felled all workers must be clear of the area within a 2 tree-length radius, with an exception for section 26.29(3). It says obstructions are cleared and an escape route to a predetermined safe position is prepared before falling or bucking starts. When a tree starts to fall, it says the faller and others present move to a predetermined safe position at least 3 metres (10 feet) from the base where possible, and that all workers are clear of the hazard area before a tree or log is bucked.

United States

The OSHA logging standard, 29 CFR 1910.266, says no employee approaches a feller closer than two tree lengths of the trees being felled until the feller has acknowledged that it is safe, unless a team is needed to fell a particular tree. It sets the same acknowledgement for mechanical felling. The standard is for logging operations, and the guide on OSHA standards for tree work shows how OSHA describes the standards used for tree care.

OSHA's hazard bulletin Tree Care Work: Falls and Falling Object Hazards sets out four steps for protecting workers from falling objects: establishing and marking drop zones with equipment such as cones, training all workers on procedures for entering the drop zone, keeping ground workers at least two times the height of the tree away from felling, and, when a rope is used to fell a tree, a distance of at least one-and-a-half times the tree's height. It also describes a visual or audible communication system between overhead workers and ground workers before rigging starts, which must show when people beneath stand clear of the drop zone and when it is safe to approach it. It says a retreat path is established for ground workers. A bulletin account of a fatal incident says the investigation found ground personnel should not have been in the drop zone while overhead work was done, and that the employer was required to set up a system of verbal and visual communication.

The one-page OSHA sheet Solutions for Tree Care Hazards lists for drop zones the use of cones or caution barrier tape to mark and manage the zone, training on entry and exit, a hard hat and eye protection, only qualified workers near the zone, and visual or audible communication between overhead and ground workers. It gives as an example of verbal command and response exchanges the command "stand clear" from the worker aloft and the response "all clear" from persons below, before limbs are cut and dropped. The OSHA leaflet Tree Care Work: Know the Hazards says supervisors secure a drop zone with cones at least two times the height of the tree.

At a glance

Place	Distance or zone	Signal
New South Wales	Drop zone from a risk assessment; for sectional felling at least 1.5 times the section length	Climber warns, ground workers acknowledge and clear the zone
New Zealand	At least two tree-lengths for people not helping with the fell	Command such as "stand clear", response such as "all clear"
Great Britain	No distance stated on the pages read	Effective communication with climbers at all times
British Columbia	2 tree-length radius cleared before a tree is felled	Not stated in the sections read
United States	Two tree lengths in the logging standard; two times tree height in OSHA's bulletin	Feller acknowledges; visual or audible system between overhead and ground

Where a code is about lines and wires, the distances are in the guides on power lines and bucket trucks and EWPs. The rules for chippers are in the guide to chippers and stump grinders.

To correct or remove an entry, write to the address at the foot of this page.